Don't get this German vampire mixed up with the Doppelganger. They are very much different. Doppelsauger is German for "double sucker". Consider it's obsession with breasts, the name seems to fit.

He is believed to be the revenant of a child who sucked his mother's breasts after being weaned onto solid food. If this particular type of child dies, they would consume the flesh from their breasts while in their graves. Then it preys a member of their family, draining the life from them and eats their breasts.

There are certain preventative measures you can take. Place a coin between the teeth of the corpse. Place a semi-circular board under the chin of the corpse. Then, make sure the burial garments are as far from the lips of the corpse as possible.

The Liderc may appeal to the sexual interests of readers. This vampire-like being share a similar quality with the Succubus or Incubus. They tend to "love someone to death" with sexual activities.

According to Hungarian folklore, there are three varieties of Liderc. The first and more traditional form is that of the csodacsirke. One hatches from the first egg of a black hen kept warm under the arm of a human (there are variations of this). It can take form of a chicken or human but always has one goose foot. The Lidérc attaches themselves to people and becomes their lover. If the owner happens to be a woman, they will morph into a man. However, it doesn't have the desire to pleasure the woman. Instead, it fondles her, sits on her body and sucks her blood, making her sick and weak. It also carries out tasks to find treasure. This generous gesture would soon become annoying as it demands more work constantly. There are two ways to rid yourself of this Liderc. You can give it an impossible task such as hauling sand with a rope, or lock it into a hollow tree.

The second form known as földi ördög shares some qualities with the first one. It can be hatched from a black hen's egg, but it's mostly found in glass bottles, rags, and pockets of old clothing. They can also make their owners rich but they supposedly give their souls to the Liderc or possibly the Devil. Doesn't seem worth it.

The third and final variety is a Satanic Lover called ördögszerető (though they have many names throughout different regions). They appear as a fiery light or a bird of fire flying in the night sky and sprinkling flames. It can take the shape of a human, usually of a dead relative or lover, and leaves footprints of a horse. They enter chimneys or keyholes, bringing sickness to their victims. The only way to bar them from your home is to burn incense and birch branches.

The interesting thing about how this vampire-like creature in Australian Aborigine lore is not his appearance. Sure a four-feet tall red, hairy man-like creature with a rather large head, no teeth and octopus-like suckers on its fingers toes may turn a few heads, but I think its eating habits are a bit more strange.

A Yara-Ma-Yha-Who doesn't hunt for food. He patiently waits in a fig tree for food comes to him. He pounces on a person when they walk under the tree and sucks most of their blood with his suckers, leaving just enough to keep them alive. But this is only the beginning of its torturous methods. After a little workout, he returns to his victim and lies on the ground, facing them. Then, he crawls to them and swallows them whole like a snake and does a little dance to jiggle the body down to his stomach. The Yara-Ma-Yha-Who regurgitates his victim who is usually still alive. At this point it would be best if you just played dead.

He'll test to see if his victim is still alive: poke them with a stick, tickle them under the chin and arms, and even walk away and quickly turn around. If the victim is successful in convincing him they are dead, he'll walk away and watch his victim for a little while, but eventually seek a bush and fall asleep, giving them the opportunity to escape. However, if they fail, the regurgitation process continues many more times. After a certain amount of times, the victim is turned into a Yara-Ma-Yha_Who.

In Haiti, it is the Loogaroo that inhabitants fear the most. These vampire-like witches are humans, especially old women, who make a deal with the Devil. They are to deliver large amounts of blood to a Devil Tree in exchange for magical powers.

During the day they appear as humans, but when night falls, they make their way to a silk-cotton tree a.k.a. the Devil Tree. They they removed their skin, carefully folding it up, and turn into a ball of fire and speed off doing their "business" until dawn.

While the Longaroo can slip through the tiniest hole, there is a way to defend yourself. They don't care for dogs which is probably why they tend molest animals. If you hear a dog barking, one might be near. Scatter rice and sand before a cabin and the Longaroo must stay and count every grain. Dawn will surprise them while doing such a task. If you happen to find their skin hidden in the bushes under a silk-cotton tree, you should pound it in a mortar with pepper and salt so the Longaroo can't take human shape again and dies.

What vampire is closely related to a wendigo and sasquatch? According to Choctaw folklore, a Shampe. Coming across a bear in the woods is the least of your worries. Shampes are described as being giant, grotesque beasts seen with or without hair who live in the deepest part of the woods. They can't stand bright sunshine or open air and have a horrible foul scent much like a skunk.

These vampire-beasts were known to follow hunters carrying their kills. The sent of blood attracts them to you. Their keen sense of smell helps them track any person or animal which makes up for their terrible vision.

Considering who it is kin to, the Shampe gives off certain warning signs that lets you know it is near. Their foul smell is a huge one. It is believed that many people have died from this scent. Another giveaway is the whistling sound they make as they stalk their prey. If you ever hear and/or smell these two warnings, drop whatever wounded/dead animal you have and run as fast as you can.

Ghost Hunters live Halloween special is on Wednesday. It'll be a 6 hour investigation of The Waverly Hills Sanatorium beginning at 8pm Central. They will be joined by Josh Gates from Destination Truth, Elijah Burke from ECW and the three finalists from the Ghost Hunters contest. Waverly is a pretty active place so it should be an interesting night.

If you missed the premiere of Ghost Adventures, don't worry you'll get another chance to see it. Ghost Adventures will air again on Wednesday at 1pm Central.

It's that time again. Horrorfest will be on November 9th to 18th. Eight new films released by After Dark Films will be shown in over 350 theaters. This years films are: The Deaths of Ian Stone, Nightmare Man, Crazy Eights, Unearthed, Borderland, Mulberry Street, Tooth and Nail and Lake Dead. Go to HorrorFest Online to purchase your tickets.

There won't be a question this week. Due to circumstances beyond my control, I didn't have the chance to post as many vampire lore as I would have liked. There will be a vampire post later today and two for the next two days as a way to make up for lost time. Enjoy.

It's a bright sunny day and you are walking about minding your own business. You have no regard for your fellow men and women's plans or motives, but you should that is if you lived during Ancient Rome. A commonly known vampire-witch called Strix or striges wandered about during those times.

During the day, they appeared as a human and could walk in the sunlight with no consequences. When night fell, she transformed into a screech owl or crow described has having huge talons, misshapen heads and breasts full of poisonous milk. Once her transformation was complete, she began her hunt for fresh new victims to satisfy her cravings for blood, livers and internal organs. Her preferred target.....children. She would lure them into her trap by offering them the poisoned milk. Of course, men weren't safe from her wrath either. It is believed a Strix would transform into a woman and have sexual intercourse with sleeping men to drain them of their life-force.

How do you keep the Strix away? You could appeal to the Goddess Carna to fight the evil vampire-witch for you that is if she decided to take up your cause or put a few branches of Hawthorne in your window. Hawthorne is considered as effective as garlic and the best material for making stakes.

June. It's like 3 in the morning. It's ink dark in the house. I'm knocked out of a deep sleep by a scream.

This isn't the normal screaming I'm used to. This isn't "oh dear, I've stabbed myself with this kitchen implement!," Nor was it "Good Lord, that fecal expurgation was distressingly large and I fear that I may have torn something loose down there!" It was real fear. It was "I just saw a freaking ghost."

I ran downstairs, my mind blank with concern, and found Connor standing in the dining room, all the lights on, wailing. I grabbed him, asking what was wrong, checking him for blood, automatically adding up his extremities. He was perfectly fine--and white as a sheet. I asked him what happened.

"I saw a ghost."

Now my kids hate my inflexible stance on the paranormal, a stance immovable and fixed: it's one rung below noodling and NASCAR on the rung to true redneck Gothic stupidity and I don't buy it. I don't believe in:

It just doesn't happen. As much as I enjoy reading about it, and as thrilling as it may seem, I think it's a big bucket of self agrandizement and delusion and the precipice off which one can gape into the wide, wiggly valley of bonkerville.

That isn't to say I won't tell a good ghost story. I've turned entire ranks of Cubscouts into wild-eyed, wigged-out believers. I made them cry and beg me not to tell another story. I've had parents tell me maybe I ought to tell some jokes instead. I can lay into it.

And I've met men who've spent their lives in the pursuit of dignity and providence, men who are not easily shaken, men who would stare down the barrel of a gun. They were the kind of guys you vote for. Pillars of character. And they told me they'd seen a ghost. Yet I don't buy it. I just don't.

But I'm closer now than I ever have been. If I shield my eyes and squint, I can barely see the idea of ghosts being real--like trying to make out the opposite shore of a long lake. I'm closer not because of Connor's recent scare. I'm closer because of my dog.

Connor didn't want to talk about what happened that night. He came upstairs and slept fitfully between me and my attorney. The next day Connor explained that he'd looked out his bedroom door and seen a face looking around the door jamb, then jerk back out of sight. He said he saw it then he screamed. I told him it was probably just part of a dream that got mixed up with some night time noise and not to worry about it and he bought it. Or seemed to.

But several months later. Yesterday, actually, out of nowhere, he told me what happened. We're driving back from downtown, just the two of us, and he tells me this version.

He says he woke up because Ty (the dog) was whining. He sat up in bed and Ty was standing next to the bed looking out the door, stock still. Connor looked up and saw a person dressed in nice clothes with white hair pulled back. He said they looked into his room and seemed amused. Connor said the dog backed up.

Connor said it took him a long time to scream. He said he had to make it happen. Then he said he screamed for a long time before I got there. (Of course, the sister never woke up.)

I've told you before our dog is gay and I mean that in a good way. Our gay friends know how to nurture--and Ty is no exception. When Connor gets hurt, Ty is all over him, tail wagging like crazy, licking and nudging, as if he's saying "It's all right, you'll be ok, don't worry, look I'm licking you. Everything is good. Lick lick lick"

But when I raced downstairs to deal with the screaming, when I skidded into the dining room and found Connor too afraid to come upstairs or go back in his room, the thing I forgot until yesterday is this: Ty's tail was dragging the floor and he was standing with his furry ass backed-up to the window and he was not happy. He was as far away from the hallway bathroom and he could get, still as a statue--looking over my shoulder.

Now perhaps Connor enjoyed a delusional moment of heightened and sudden neuroses. Maybe a moth flew into his room. Maybe nothing happened and he just had a dream. But the dog? Ty does nothing but wag his tail, lick people, and run around trying to figure out where we're going to walk next. He never stands still. Ever. Even when he's in STAY he's twitching and sweeping the floor with his tail, and smiling and panting and drooling all over himself. But this time--nothing. Backed up against the wall, afraid of the bathroom.

We can agree the supernatural has been apart of our culture for thousands of years. This statement is the subject of Graham Hancock's new novel Supernatural. But who is Graham Hancock?

Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Hancock spent most of his younger years in India. Later, he went to school and university in the northern English city of Durham and graduated from Durham University in 1973 with First Class Honors in Sociology and pursued a career in journalism. He wrote for newspapers such as The Times, The Guardian and The Independent and was co-editor of New Internationalist magazine from 1976-1979. He is known for asking legitimate questions and challenging popular views of orthodox scholars. Hancock is the author of the major international bestsellers The Sign and The Seal, Fingerprints of the Gods and Heaven's Mirror. I believe his latest novel will fall in that category as well.

When I first read a synopsis of Supernatural, I was excited. I love learning new things and ideas in this area. I have to say after reading a few chapters it wasn't what I thought it would be. It starts out with Hancock describing his experience with a session of a hallucinogen. He wasn't experimented with such drugs just for the fun of it. He did it to prove a point. Throughout part of the book, he makes a case as to how hallucinogens help shamans reach another realm of existence. This includes how some images depicted in cave art links the hallucinations they have (there are illustrations throughout the book to show you what he is referring to).

Next, his arguments shift to UFOs and hallucinogens. You would think it proves aliens don't exist and it's all in our minds. Actually, it's the opposite. Many of those who have had experiences with hallucinogens describe similar images including that of an alien-like figure. His belief is that they help connect us to them. Skeptics may think that's a stretch especially since we are basically taught that hallucinations are nothing and we shouldn't believe what we see. What if they are actually real?

Fairy abductions factor in this equation as well. These took place throughout Europe before UFOs became popular in the 1960s. Fairies were known to "take" people randomly to Fairy Knolls, some never returned. Others were taken to be midwives or mother figures for hybrids. They were also known to switch "Changelings" for human babies. Some even claimed to be "tortured by fairies" much like the alien operations. These stories mimic those of UFO abductees. Is it possible they are one in the same? Maybe considering there hasn't been a fairy abduction since UFOs came into play.

Last stop in the book tour, is DNA. It's a popular theory we owe our existence to a comet hitting the earth carrying an organism of some kind. In Hancock's book, he explains how some scientists believe it may have been more than that. Actually their thoughts are that our DNA may actually contain messages recorded by "clever entities" which we can access during sessions with hallucinogens. Since the function of 97 percent of our DNA is unknown, I can see how someone would propose such a theory. Most scientists have thought the large portion was nothing but junk DNA that it didn't really serve a high purpose. Francis Crick, co-discoverer of the structure of DNA, supposedly admitted to his colleagues that he was under the influence of LSD when he came up with the double helix shape. Does that prove our DNA holds some secret message(s). I really don't know. The drug may have picked up information he already knew.

This is but a large taste of what you'll find in Supernatural. If you love reading and learning about the abnormal aspects of life, you will love this book. I think anyone willing to put themselves out there and test their own theories (even if it means putting yourself through some risky "experiments"). Graham Hancock has that way of making you really think about what society has taught you.

It was 1967 when Roger Patterson and Robert Gimlin filmed an alleged Sasquatch at Bluff Creek. After 40 years, the Bigfoot footage is still regarded as the most popular and controversial. Was it a hoax? Quite possibly.

While Gimlin had his doubts, Patterson was a believer. Many who knew him say he wasn't the most reliable. You add that to inconsistencies in stories (interviews printed in various magazines) and the fuzziness in the film could convince any skeptic of its invalidity. This wasn't some random outing where they just happen to spot the mythic creature. Patterson was filming a Bigfoot documentary. According to Grover Krantz, the two even agreed they should have shot the creature not just to silence naysayers, but also for financial gain. So, what would have stopped them from staging the whole thing?

New species of animals are discovered all the time. I believe it is possible some mythical creatures really do exist. Do you think the Patterson-Gimlin footage is proof Bigfoot exists?

I know I haven't posted much lately. I planned on writing something yesterday but it was a very bad day. My step-grandfather died from respiratory failure. It was quite unexpected. I didn't really know him. Never had a chance to meet him. All I know is what I've been told and what I've been told weren't so nice. Whether you like your parent(s) or not, it still hurts to some degree when they die.

If that wasn't bad enough, we had two severe thunderstorms pass through. The last one left as quickly as it came but it still left its mark. A somewhat large tree in our front yard was blown completely over. It missed our house by a few feet. No one was hurt except for our picnic table or rather the umbrella. It took my mom forever to find one large and cheap enough for it. Now, she'll have to find another one.

I've always been deathly afraid of tornadoes, not so much now since we moved into a house and have a storm cellar. Obviously, there's a real reason to fear them especially if you live in Tornado Alley like I do. I look at that tree and realize that while tornadoes are bad, thunderstorms can be damaging as well. It'll be weird to not see that tree anymore. To not see the bird feeder the squirrels often ate out of in its rightful place. But yet I'm glad it did less harm than good.

Some of my worries should have subsided when the storms past, but yet they haven't. While there aren't any storms foreseen for tomorrow except for the possibility of a few isolated showers, they have predicted winds up to 40 mph. I fear tree limbs or even trees may be hanging on by a thread thanks to the storms from the previous night. I'm hoping if that is true the wind will blow it in a direction away from the house. My mother and step-father are busy with funeral arrangements and tending to my step-grandmother's needs. A tree falling on the house is the least of what any of us need right now. I know some believe that God never gives us more than we can handle, but can you blame me for having doubts?

Finally, my worries extend to my sister. She was scheduled to have surgery on her foot yesterday. She lives in Missouri with her husband and two kids. Eastern Oklahoma wasn't the only ones having bad weather. From what I understand, some of the tornadoes reported were in Missouri. I haven't heard anything about how the surgery went or their bad weather. I'm praying everything went alright.

I'm not sure when the next time I'll be able to write. If I get a chance to, further updates will be posted on Southern Expressions. Before I go, I want to remind everyone that tomorrow is the last day to vote in the Blogger Choice Awards. It seems that if you were nominated this year then you are automatically put on next years nomination list, the voting starting as this year's ends. I want to thank everyone who voted for Ghost Stories. These things are usually popularity contests and I never guessed how popular this blog has become. Thank you again!

It is a Chinese belief that everyone possesses two souls, a superior or rational soul an an inferior irrational soul. The superior soul can leave a sleeping body and roams about as the body's double. It can also possess and speak through the body of another. An inferior soul can inhabit the body of a fetus and linger in the bodies of the dead. It is believed that the mythology of the Chiang-Shih or hopping corpse came from the folklore practice of "Traveling a Corpse over a Thousand Li". A traveling companion or family members who could not afford a wagon or had very little money would hire a Tao priests to transport the corpses of friends/family members who died far from home over long distances by teaching to hop on their own feet back to their hometown for a proper burial. Other think they were smugglers in disguise who wanted to scare off law enforcement.

A Chiang-Shih is said to be created when a person's soul fails to leave the decease's body, usually after a violent death. It could also be the result of an improper burial. Their transformation taken place before the burial. Some appear as a normal human while others have a hideous green phosphorescent glow with serrated teeth, glowing red eyes, foul breath and long talons. They hop because of the pain and stiffness from death makes it difficult to walk. They are far more pale and have very dark circles under their eyes.

The Chiang-Shih were nocturnal creatures and couldn't cross running water. They ripped the head and limbs off their victims and attacked and raped women. After growing stronger, they gained the ability to fly, grow long white hair and sometimes change into wolves. It was also known to leap out of graves and attack people traveling at night. So, how do you protect yourself from such vicious creatures?

You are advised to hold your breath as they are blind and can only detect your breathing (they are known to steal the breath from their victims). You can also protect yourself by using garlic or salt. Other methods includes driving them away with noise (thunder could kill them), sweeping the creature back with a broom and use iron filings, rice and red peas as barriers, and kill them with bullets (if they reached the white haired stage). If the creature is killed, it must be cremated. Tao priests could also be recruited to perform a type of "exorcism". A piece of wood approximately six inches high is installed along the width of the door to prevent a hopping corpse from entering the household according to conventional wisdom of feng shui Chinese architecture.

I didn't mention this in the previous post, but allow me to do so now. Forget every cliche Hollywood has taught you about vampires, including wooden stakes, holy water, crucifixes, etc. Some or possibly most vampires you will read here won't fit completely in that mold. Having said that, lets continue with the next stop on our "tour".

The first documented story of vampires possibly came from Ancient Greek lore. One kind believed to roam the lands of Greece and Macedonia is the Vrykolaka. There are several ways to become a Vrykolaka: suicide, violent death, improper burial, cursed by a priest, and excommunicated from the church.

Their method of killing is quite unique. A Vrykolaka would request entry into a person's household possibly someone they once knew. Next, they would call out the victims name before sitting on their chests and suffocating them. There are those who have survived these so called "attacks". But those who didn't were believed to have been turned into a Vrykolaka. In reality, the most logical explanation for this is a heart attack. Of course, people are going to believe what they want to believe.

There is a way to kill these vampires. You can choose a traditional method by driving a stake through it. Or pin it to its coffin so it won't rise. Other methods are cutting off its head and placing it out of the creatures reach, burning the body or having the ban lifted by a priest (in cases of excommunications). Then again you may not have to do it yourself. The Sabbatarian and his Fetch dog may take care of the Vrykolaka for you.

A Sabbatarian is a person born on a Saturday and are endowed with holy powers such as the ability to see these invisible horrors and fight them. A Fetch Dog is the constant companion of a Sabbatarian, a white magic familiar who helps chase away ghosts and vampires.

Sabbatarians are believed to have the ability to turn themselves invisible in some areas. So, if you are ever in Greece or Macedonia, be nice to the lonely dog you see wandering around. He may be a Fetch Dog accompanied by someone who could save your life.

Last night was an interesting episode. Below is a short synopsis of each location they investigated along with a clip, revealing the evidence they collected.

The PresidioTAPS investigated the Presidio in San Francisco, California. In the 1770s, it was a Spanish fort until Mexico seized it. Twenty-four years later, it switched hands again and became a military base for the U.S. Army for over 148 years. Now, The Presidio is part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

One of the claims TAPS went in to investigate was that of a Spanish woman. Witnesses reported seeing and smelling her in a couple areas. Jason and Grant possibly traced the floral phantom smell associated with her to a janitor's closet. As for the visual reports, watch the clip and see if you think it's her.

Lullaby LaneThe second stop in San Francisco was a baby store called Lullaby Lane. Most of the claims were audio except for a chair in their office moving on its own. The owners were less interested in having evidence to back up their reports and more wanting to know if it was a valid employee named Jean responsible for it all.

TAPS was able to debunk the sounds of footsteps along with high EMFs as a possible reason for the chair moving. The duration of the night seemed pretty quiet. It wasn't until they analyzed the evidence when the realized it was anything but that. The owners wanted to find out if Jean was haunting their store. Watch the clip below to see and hear what they didn't expect.

I'm declaring October Vampire Month here at Ghost Stories! Throughout the next four weeks, I will be writing about various vampire folklore and myths across the globe. The first vampire story is that of America's most well-known and last North American "vampire", Mercy Brown.

New England was the center of vampire folklore in the United States, especially Rhode Island. During the 1800s, consumption or pulmonary tuberculosis plagued the townspeople of Exeter. One out of four people died from it. Unfortunately, the Brown family didn't escape it. The disease first took Mercy's mother, Mary Brown. The next victim was her sister, Mary Olive. Edwin was the next to contract consumption, but fearing for his only son's life, George Brown sent him to live in Colorado, to stop or slow the disease. He returned in late 1891 because it had progressed. However, Edwin wasn't the next the person in the Brown family to die. Mercy had the "galloping" variety of consumption and her battle ended within a few months. She was only 19. Mercy didn't die as a vampire, but she would soon be labeled one. But why?

We know during these times vampires were to blame for almost anything that couldn't be controlled or cured. It was a way to give an explanation for the unexplained. You add that to ignorance and fear and vampire (along with other mythical creatures) folklore is born. Mercy became the scapegoat. George Brown wasn't the type to believe in such superstitions. However, three members of his family were dead, one was sick and he had two other daughters to think about. He began to think his family was cursed. It took the persistence of his friends and neighbors to convince him to exhume their bodies. Mary and Mary Olive's bodies were decomposed but Mercy's looked "too well preserved."

Everything we know about decomposition explains what they saw. There was no signs of decomposition because the cold of winter preserved her body. Blood can coagulate and become liquid again which explains why there was blood in her heart and liver. These misconceptions led them to believe she was the one responsible for draining the life from Edwin and other consumption victims. The townspeople felt the only way for the spell to be broken and Edwin to get well was to cut out her heart, burn it, mix the ashes with water, and have him consume it. Too bad it didn't work. Edwin died two months later on May 2, 1892.

After Edwin, the deaths stopped. Did their desperate act work? Was Mercy to blame for it all? Of course not. They discovered in 1882 tuberculosis was spread by bacteria. As a result, embalming became a common practice thus leaving the vampire theory behind.

Now, her grave site is believed to be haunted. Many witnesses have reported seeing lights in the graveyard, including a descendant of the Brown family. She has also been seen dressed in a torn black dress disheveled and dirty. Could the violation of her grave cause her to forever haunt her burial ground?